American killed as U.S., Iraqi commandos free dozens of ISIL hostages

WASHINGTON — A U.S. servicemember died after a commando raid Thursday freed about 70 hostages believed to face imminent execution by Islamic State fighters in northern Iraq, the Pentagon said.

The soldier's death marked the first American combat death in Iraq in four years and raises the issue of deepening U.S. involvement on the ground there, something President Obama and the Pentagon have routinely ruled out.

Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook insisted that U.S. participation in the firefight did not indicate a shift in U.S. policy, calling the circumstances leading to the raid unique. "U.S. forces are not in an active combat mission in Iraq," he said.

Eric Schultz, President Obama’s deputy press secretary, rejected the notion that the United States was returning to a ground combat role. “Our mission in Iraq has focused and has narrowed. And the president has made the determination that our men and women over there will not be serving in a combat role,” he said. “That said, it is a very dangerous place, and nobody here underestimates the risk that our men and women who serve with incredible bravery and distinction assume when they're there.”

Kurdish commandos and U.S. special operations forces conducted the raid, which came at the request of the Kurdish regional government, Cook said.

The American was wounded in the raid and later died from his wounds, Cook said. The 70 hostages, including 20 members of the Iraqi security forces, were released. Five fighters from the Islamic State, also known as ISIL, were captured, Cook said. U.S. forces also recovered valuable intelligence from the militants' camp near the northern Iraqi town of Hawija, he said.

American helicopters swooped the special operators to the site, Cook said. The plan had been for about 30 U.S. special operations soldiers to advise a similar number of Kurdish commandos on the raid, a senior Defense Department official said. The official was not authorized to speak publicly about details of the mission.

Islamic State fighters held the hostages in a walled compound, the official said. The helicopters flew in from the south and west of the complex, and troops encountered heavy gunfire. The Kurds were pinned down before American troops took the lead and killed 15 militants, the official said. U.S. troops wounded several more fighters as they freed the hostages.

Four mass graves had been dug in the compound, and the hostages were told they would be killed after morning prayers, the official said. The hostages included 22 Iraqi Army soldiers and some former Islamic State fighters who had been declared spies.

"It is always a tragedy when we lose one of our own," said Army Col. Steve Warren, a military spokesman in Baghdad. "In the end, we saved 70 people from execution that was planned in a few hours."

The special operators were on hand to advise, and under rules calling for them to stay behind the last concealed position, Warren said. They joined the fight, Warren said, when they saw their allies under "withering fire" from the militants.

"They acted appropriately," Warren said.

The Hawija district, about 30 miles south of Kirkuk, has a population of about 400,000 people.

The American casualty is the first to die in combat in Iraq since U.S. troops withdrew in 2011. An improvised explosive device killed a soldier Nov. 14, 2011. American forces returned in 2014 to help advise Iraqi forces in their battles with the Islamic State.

"We commend and congratulate the brave individuals who participated in this successful operation that saved many lives, and we deeply mourn the loss of one of our own who died while supporting his Iraqi comrades engaged in a tough fight," Army Gen. Lloyd Austin, commander of Central Command, said in a statement. "Our gratitude and heartfelt condolences go out to this young man's family, his teammates and friends."

After the raid and rescue, U.S. Air Force F-15 warplanes leveled the compound with bombs, the official said.